Unplug This Blog!
RSS Feeds
May 21, 2009
The case for bike commuting: feel great, save time and money
Posted by Rob Klovance
On days like this in particular, the sun shining and no time for a workout on what will be a busy evening, I really miss my bike commute.
While I can't complain about now walking seven minutes to work, my fitness level isn't where it used to be, and that morning buzz is gone. Coffee can't compete.
Bike commuting isn't for everyone, and in the midst of a Wet Coast downpour it's not a whole lot of fun for even the most ardent cyclist with full rain gear and a shower facility at the office. But there are so many pluses to bike commuting, even selectively, that I thought it was time to help make the case.
June is Bike Month and I was disappointed to hear that the recent Bike to Work Week drew just 16,500 participants across B.C., far below the 30,000 target set by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition. Clearly, many people who might be able to bike to work – a 2007 City of Vancouver study [PDF, 44 Kb] showed that more than 80% of Vancouverites, and even 45% of those who live in Surrey, live less than 10 kilometres from work – aren't even considering the option.
Here's a quick look at why, for many people, bike commuting should make sense:
- Cost savings. See the section below for a look at the costs of bike commuting versus car commuting and rapid transit. We're talking big savings here.
- Time savings. OK, so it will usually take you more time to bike to work than to drive, particularly if you have to fit in a shower at the end of a sweaty ride. But consider the time you may save by combining your commute with your workout, rather than spending additional time in the evening going to a gym or going for a run.
Fitness. One study showed that new, first-time bike commuters can expect to drop an average of more than five kilos in weight in their first year of bike commuting if they eat the same amount. From personal experience, I can only say that you'll eat more and still drop weight, and if you happen to play a sport – in my case, it's ice hockey – you'll love the increase in strength and stamina. - Peace of mind. Getting stuck in traffic sucks, even if you're listening to Radiohead. And as much as I support rapid transit, standing in a jam-packed bus next to a guy who has spent the last 10 minutes smoking in the rain, is not my idea of a good time. And then there's the plus of not contributing to CO2 emissions.
- Improved bike routes. When I bike commuted from Yaletown to Burnaby, I spent most of the time on the Adanac bike route, which is calm, virtually car-free and featured only a few hills (until that nice climb up Union Street east of Boundary Road). Even if it takes you longer than travelling on main streets, opt for the bike route, which is more peaceful, less polluted and way safer.
- The fair weather option. I bike commuted an average of three days per week, based in part on whether I had errands to run via transit or car, but mostly based on weather. If it was really, really wet, I usually didn't ride.
How much cheaper is it?
A bike commuter in Minnesota was so stoked about the biking option that he took the time to do an exhaustive cost comparison against the options of car, carpool, vanpool, bus and light rapid transit. Really interesting stuff.
While his numbers were specific to his region – where rapid transit options are way more affordable than in Metro Vancouver – here's what he found on his 10-mile (16-kilometre) commute:
- Annual cost per commuter: $150 by bike; $2,500 driving alone; $1,300 by car pool; $700 by van pool; $750 by bus or light rail. Given that a two-zone transit pass in Metro Vancouver is $99 per month, even after the federal tax credit on transit passes, you're looking at more than $700 per year.
- Time to commute: 40 minutes by bike; 27 by car; 30 by van pool; 50 by bus and 32 by light rail.
If you're within walking distance of work, the bike commute is not a practical option. Ditto if you need your car in your line of work, if you have a physical challenge that makes cycling impossible or impractical, or if a bike commute might be too long or dangerous. But the truth is, there are tens of thousands of British Columbians out there who might actually benefit from bike commuting.
Try it. You'll love the buzz.
Rob Klovance is managing editor of BC Hydro and occasionally sneaks home early to fit in a bike ride before dinner.
The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of BC Hydro.
